This invention relates generally to producing information copies, and more particularly to producing information copies on interleaved transparency material and plain paper separator sheets and stacking such copies in separate hoppers or in interleaved fashion in one hopper.
One popular medium for communicating information involves displaying the desired information to be communicated on a screen so as to be visible to a substantial member of persons at the same time. Such information is contained on transparency material and is projected therefrom onto the screen, for example, by a projector commonly referred to as an overhead projector. The information-bearing transparency material is typically prepared by producing copies of original information on such transparency material in a reproduction apparatus such as a printer or electrographic copier. Additional copies of such information on plain paper sheets may also be desired. When information copies on both transparency material and plain paper sheets are required, multiple independent copy reproduction cycles are necessitated (i.e., one cycle in which the apparatus functions to produce copies on transparency material and one cycle to produce copies on plain paper).
Transparency material, however, has proven difficult to handle in typical reproduction apparatus. A principle reason for this difficulty has to do with certain inherent characteristics of transparency material. That is, transparency material typically comprises nonfibrous, flexible polymeric sheets which have a relatively high coefficient of friction and a high propensity to surface electrostatic charge build-up. Accordingly, sheets of such material tend to stick together due to such charge build-up and are hard to feed individually through the reproduction apparatus.